Christmas ceremonies went on in Bethlehem, West Bank, despite months of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
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In Bethlehem, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land arrived ahead of the traditional midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.
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The celebrations in Manger Square will continue through the Christmas period, but other festivities in Bethlehem were canceled or scaled down.
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Being held in the shadow of the recent spiral of violence that has rocked Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, the mood was less festive than the previous years. On the Israeli side, about 21 settlers have been killed.
The situation in Israel is tense, with soldiers visible on many streets, a huge security wall separating out the Jewish settlements from the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and regular check-points to cross. “We decorated this olive tree with the names of our martyrs to deliver a message to the world; that Palestinians celebrate Christmas with blood as long as the occupation is here in the land of peace”. Another Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli troops, a Palestinian hospital official said.
Despite the violence, thousands of people have gathered in Manger Square, admiring Bethlehem’s Christmas tree and listening to holiday music played by marching bands and scout troops. Hundreds of Palestinian policemen and security officers have been deployed in Bethlehem and its surroundings as part of an “unprecedented” security operation to maintain law and order during the celebrations.
While Bethlehem is relatively safe at Christmas, vendors and hotels reported disappointing sales.
146-r-16-(Sound of singing, during festivities Christmas Eve in Manger Square in Bethlehem)-Sound of singing during festivities Christmas Eve in Manger Square in Bethlehem.
In recent days, Palestinian forces have reportedly arrested and place in administrative detention 16 extremist Muslim militants.
Linaras Oceani, a Christian Indonesian taking selfies, said she was not deterred by travel warnings from back home. Palestinians say the structure has stifled Bethlehem’s economy.
Christianity calls on believers “to act soberly – in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential”, said the 79-year old pope, leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.
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His concerns were playing out in countries including Libya and Syria, where Christians have been threatened by the advance of Islamic State (IS) group.
